Commonwealth election observers have concluded their assessment of Guyana’s September 2025 general and regional elections, recommending the implementation of biometric technology to address longstanding concerns about the integrity of the voter registry while simultaneously clearing the elections of systematic fraud allegations.
The recently published report from the Commonwealth Observer Mission acknowledged persistent worries about Guyana’s voter roll containing deceased individuals and emigrants but found no substantiated evidence that the inflated list was exploited for electoral manipulation. The mission documented that all 438,468 valid votes were cast through transparent and properly managed procedures.
Despite the clean bill of health regarding electoral integrity, the observers strongly advocated for biometric voter registration and verification systems to be implemented early in the next election cycle. This recommendation comes despite previous constitutional concerns raised by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Retired Justice Claudette Singh, who had expressed reservations about using biometric technology exclusively for voter verification.
The comprehensive report highlighted significant improvements in electoral administration since the contentious 2020 elections. Observers praised GECOM for major procedural enhancements including updated electoral manuals, decentralized counting processes, and the introduction of simultaneous electronic posting of polling station results—all contributing to greater transparency and accuracy.
Election day operations received particular commendation for generally professional conduct, with polling staff demonstrating preparedness and courtesy. Security coordination was effectively managed, and voter guidance materials were predominantly well-organized despite some inconsistencies in signage.
The observers noted several structural challenges contributing to voter list inaccuracies, including legal restrictions on modifying the registry and difficulties operationalizing legislation that would allow using death reports from the Police Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer to remove deceased individuals from the rolls.
The report also documented that most political parties participated under protest, with newer parties expressing specific dissatisfaction about GECOM’s decision against biometric technology. Both the Alliance For Change (AFC) and Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) had publicly questioned GECOM’s readiness and formally called for election postponement.
Despite these concerns, the Commonwealth Group affirmed that the 2025 voting, counting, and tabulation processes were conducted peacefully and with generally high standards of transparency and management.